It’s come home! What a sensational result for the Lionesses to unite the country. I know from speaking to people across the constituency just how inspired girls and women are after the Euros win so I’m over the moon that the Government pledged £230 million for grassroots football facilities so the legacy of the tournament can live on. Equally, it was wonderful to see the Commonwealth come together for the Games in Birmingham; huge congratulations to all the medallists, competitors and organisers.
After a heated few weeks in Westminster, both politically and climatically, it felt good to catch the train back home up to Brampton as Parliament concluded for Summer recess. My work as an MP doesn’t stop in recess, but it allows me more time out and about working closely with people in the constituency. I can’t write this August column without mentioning the race for Number 10. Readers will know I backed Tom Tugendhat. I believed he had the background, international experience and integrity to lead us, understanding both rural and urban issues in a way to unite us all. Moving forward, this leadership election has made clear that we have a broad range of talent across the Conservative Parliamentary Party. The next Prime Minister, whoever she or he might be, will have my full support.
Politics hasn’t been the only thing hotting up. Recently, we experienced some of the highest temperatures ever recorded in our history. It really drove home the threat of climate change and I felt compelled to speak in the Chamber twice on the issue that week. Both urging the UK and our global partners to push harder in achieving COP26’s objectives and commending Cumbria and the nation’s brilliant response to combat the unprecedented heat.
Representing a constituency that has such a deep bond with the natural environment, I’ve made tackling climate change a priority of mine and this month I met with Nenthead’s community snowplough team, and their new plough/gritter (aptly name Margrit) bolstering their climate resilience ahead of winter; I’ve met with green-fingered youngsters near my home in Brampton who are planting fruit, vegetable and flowers sustainably; and I’ve worked with Government to ringfence £100 million protecting repeatedly-flooded communities.
Sadly, these increasingly frequent extreme weather events can have impacts far beyond physical destruction – which themselves can be crippling – and manifest in mental health problems that remain after the blue lights have left. As such, I’ve been proud to trigger an EFRA Committee Inquiry into Rural Mental Health which held its final evidence session in July. I’ve also triggered two new EFRA Inquiries. First is on the UK’s Food Security, a critical issue coming into sharp relief following the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The second will evaluate Government progress delivering the Environmental Land Management Schemes, the new farm payments system post our departure from the EU; I know this is of huge concern to our farmers, so I was keen we look at this and make recommendations to Government if any changes are needed.
Our Commons EFRA Committee is pivotal to making sure Government policy works for people on the ground. Working collegiately with Conservative, Labour and SNP colleagues on the Committee, my vital place on the Committee helps me stand up for our rural Cumbrian communities, the agricultural sector and all constituents who care about the food we eat, water quality and the air we breathe.
This month, I was also invited to represent the EFRA Committee on the Public Accounts Committee – the body that scrutinises how public money is spent, – interrogating animal disease infrastructure funding. Frankly, the evidence we heard was alarming. The Animal Plant Health Agency’s HQ at Weybridge is an ageing building that lacks laboratory capacity and requires major repairs. This hugely impacts our ability to detect and manage animal disease outbreaks. While £2.8 billion is needed from an already overstretched public purse, if not adequately funded the impact could be devastating. This issue is personal to me as I was deployed on the ground as a Veterinary Surgeon during the 2001 Foot and Mouth Crisis, bearing witness to scenes I never want to see again. In fact, my decision to become a politician was directly impacted by these experiences.
Faced with these stark realities, I think it’s really important to stop and focus on the positives. In this spirit, I had a great time at Penrith Show meeting with smiling faces, all just so happy to be back together after so long. Our rural community was at its best, and I must again congratulate the organisers.
I also had some notable visits to Westminster from a host of wonderful constituents. Fix the Fells came down to receive the Park Protector Award for all the great work they do protecting our environment; Barnardo’s Young People Social Prescribing Service attended the NHS Parliamentary Awards after I nominated them for their vital support for our young people’s mental wellbeing; and I met with a group of students from QEGS Penrith who wowed me with their questions.
I wish everyone a peaceful summer and if you and your families get a chance for a much-needed break I hope you have a wonderful time.
